Can Amazon drones save the economy?

Preston Gralla |
Dec. 17, 2013

As the federal government abandons funding primary and applied research, companies like Google and Amazon can pick up the slack.

There was a time when the federal government embraced research as a central part of its role, and in doing so propelled innovation and the country's economic might. Al Gore may not have invented the Internet, but federal funding did, leading to explosive growth and innovation that will be felt for decades to come. But this is an era that disdains government and sees research as bureaucratic rot that needs to be cut.

Enter Google. And Amazon. And other tech companies. Their research needs to take up the slack as meat cleavers come down on federal research programs. Not only will it ultimately fatten their bottom lines, but it can help revive the U.S. economy as well.